Pictou County prepares for COVID-19
Pictou County’s nursing homes are following provincial protocol and encouraging people to not visit for 14 days after they’ve returned from travelling outside Canada.
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said that people travelling outside Canada may have come in contact with the novel coronavirus, now dubbed COVID-19.
“In that 14-day-period, even if you’re healthy, do not visit a long-term care facility. We need to do everything we can do to prevent the introduction of this virus into a long-term care facility setting,” he said.
Ivy Terrace, High Crest Place and Glen Haven Manor all confirmed to The News that they are following these protocols.
“We follow best practices that meet national and even international standards with direct communications to and from the Department of Health and Wellness and the Chief Medical Officer, as well as keeping up to date on the latest information from the WHO when an unusual situation arises,” said Glen Haven
Manor CEO Lisa Smith.
A spokesperson for the Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education also told The News that schools in the region have been following public health guidelines.
“CCRCE is working closely with Public Health, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and other key partners to ensure our education system is prepared if COVID-19 reaches Nova Scotia,” said CCRCE media spokesperson Jennifer Rodgers.
Students in Nova Scotia will be on March break after Friday. For those who may be travelling in areas impacted by COVID-19, there are certain steps the province is recommending for their return.
Those who begin to feel sick should isolate themselves at home. If they develop a fever of 38 C or higher and/ or a new cough, then they should call 811 for assessment.
If needed, the 811 service will direct people to the nearest COVID-19 assessment centre.
There are currently eight assessment centres located throughout the province and the Nova Scotia Health Authority has said that additional centres will open in the coming days. In Pictou County, the Eastside Collaborative Care Centre off East River Road in New Glasgow has been designated as an assessment centre.
Only those who have been referred to an assessment centre by 811 are going to be accepted at the site. NSHA Chief of Microbiology Dr. Todd Hatchette said this is to ensure that these resources remain open to those suspected of contracting COVID-19.
“The resources of our health system are already strained by the seasonal flu and other demands. These COVID-19 assessment centres are another measure that will focus our work on testing those who most require it, and to also help lessen the pressure on the rest of our system.”
ASSESSMENT CENTRES
If people get recommended to an assessment centre, they will be given a mask and reviewed by a NSHA employee.
The employee will determine symptoms, travel history, and will then use a swab to test for COVID-19. Those tests are sent to the National Microbiology Lab which, on March 11, Dr. Hachette said will return the results within 48 hours.
Following the swab, a person will either be sent home or hospitalized in severe cases.